Baked picnic ham with pineapple and chilli glaze

Method

1. Fill a large pan or stockpot with cold water, add the gammon and set over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then drain and rinse off the gammon (this removes some of the saltiness).
2. Rinse the pan out, then return the gammon to it. Add 500ml of the pineapple juice, then top up with water to cover the gammon completely. Add 2 of the star anise, then put the pan back over a high heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 1-1½ hours until a digital thermometer pushed into the middle of the joint reads 65-70°C, or a skewer pushed into the centre feels piping hot when the tip is pressed to the back of your wrist. Remove the ham to a board and leave until cool enough to handle.
3. Meanwhile, put the remaining pineapple juice and star anise in a heavy-based pan with the sugar. Heat gently to melt the sugar, then bring the liquid up to a rapid boil and reduce for 8-10 minutes to form a thick, sticky glaze. Take off the heat and add the chillies, then transfer to a bowl. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7.
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4. Use a sharp knife to peel the skin off the ham, leaving on as much of the fat as possible. Score the fat diagonally in two directions to create diamond shapes, then thickly brush over the glaze. Reserve any leftover glaze for drizzling over.
5. Line a roasting tin with 2 layers of foil, then add the ham. Roast for 15-20 minutes, basting occasionally with the glaze, until the top of the ham is just beginning to char. Set aside to cool (see Make Ahead).
6. To make the pineapple salsa, put the pineapple and the onion in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Halve the cucumber lengthways, then scoop out the seeds by running a teaspoon down the centre. Halve the cucumber pieces lengthways to give 4 quarters, then slice these and add to the bowl with the lime juice and zest, sugar, salt and fish sauce. Toss to combine, then chill for 20 minutes or up to 3 hours, tossing occasionally to coat everything (see Make Ahead).
7. Drain off most of the liquid from the salsa, then toss through the herbs and sliced chilli, if using. Drizzle the ham with some of the reserved glaze, then thickly slice and serve with the salsa and buttered bread, if you like.